A clickable thumbnail image that accompanies TrueView in-stream ads or bumper ads. On a YouTube page, it appears next to the ad, in the top right corner (on a desktop computer).
A companion banner provides continued brand presence after a video ends, and the viewer can click on it at any time.
There are two kinds of companion banners: image and video wall.
Companion banners are optional. They’re also displayed only in certain cases, for example, in the context of a YouTube watch page. They don’t show on embedded players, connected TVs, or game consoles.
A click on a companion banner:
- can direct to an external URL or a YouTube channel
- counts as a view, even if the viewer hasn’t watched at least 30 seconds of the ad